BLOG 192 EFFORT
The skills and wisdom we achieve in life is the result
of continued efforts. Most times we are graded or only praised for results, not
the efforts it took to reach the goal or accomplish the task. Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort not strength
or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential”. Effort is the act of
trying, your level of intensity or work, your focus, and continuous drive to
succeed. We are expected to give effort in the roles we play in life including
work, sports, relationships, and for our health. Sometimes the attempt is what
makes the reward more deserving and feelings of a job accomplished. It is the affirmation
that when the result is determined, you did give your best. Hard work is a mind
set that requires effort.
Believing in your efforts is
motivational. People attribute their successes to natural ability, luck, other
people, and EFFORT. Of these four causes, effort is the one that makes the
experience purposeful. A handout or gift doesn’t equate to action. The refusal
to give up puts you in the driver’s seat to wake up, take action, and apply
effort. Your attitude shifts when you know you have to work for what you want. You
cherish a possession much more if your efforts earned you the money to pay for
it versus having it handed to you. You put effort into your school work when
you know your grades influence financial aid or earning your degree versus
having someone pay for all your school and you automatically graduate
regardless. Effort connects action to reward.
Effort creates a mindset of not settling
for less. What you put in, you get out. Don’t expect more when you give less.
Equate your effort to your expectations. Effort builds character and makes you
stronger whether the task requires mental or physical work. Sometimes the
result doesn’t always match what you had desired. Sometimes your effort can
feel under-appreciated or devalued when you don’t get what you had hoped for.
Regardless of the outcome, there’s a mental fulfillment to knowing you truly
tried. Those close to you see and it and know. Reassure yourself that your
efforts will pay off in some form. Maybe the grade wasn’t that great on the
test, but you still have the final and the effort you gave to study for this
test will cut down on the studying for the final to help you focus more on what
you need to better understand. Effort is a can do attuite and must for success.
It is the key to success and when you keep turning that key, doors continue to
open.
